Blues haven't had a better than .500 record in month of October since 2021, have been chasing standings with less-than-stellar starts to season; puck drops on 2026-27 season Friday in Dallas
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- After another underwhelming start to a season that had coach Jim Montgomery talking about being ready when the puck drops in October by having a very focused training camp, the time has arrived for the St. Louis Blues to see if they can put their money where their mouth is.
When the puck finally drops on the 2026-27 season starting with a three-game road trip beginning Friday against the Dallas Stars (8 p.m.; TNT, ESPN 101.1.FM), the Blues are putting an emphasis of getting off to a much better October than in recent years’ past.
Not since 2021 when they came out of the gate hot at 6-1-0 have the Blues had the kind of success needed to start a season that is essential to a good season. They finished that season 49-22-11 and reached the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs before falling to eventual Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the Jordan Binnington gets taken out by Nazem Kadri series.
In the ensuing month of October’s, the Blues have gone 3-5-0, 3-3-1, 5-6-0 and last season, 3-6-2. The only time they reached the playoffs was in 2025 when they were 5-6-0 by getting hot towards the end of the season and needing a win in the regular season finale against the Utah Mammoth to guarantee a spot.
Having to chase the standings just isn’t feasible in the well-balanced, plenty-of-parity NHL and the Blues, who face the Avalanche on Saturday before closing the trip Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks, know it. That’s why the emphasis began the moment training camp, which was abbreviated with the 84-game regular-season schedule and fewer preseason games, started.
“Yeah we tried to establish competing first on pucks,” Montgomery said. “There’s been competition in every day of practice of some form to try and get our mindsets that we’re going to win. Every competition matters, so that we have natural, competitive spirit to try and start and be hard to play against. They go hand-in-hand. That’s been something that I haven’t instituted very much because I think if you’re a naturally competitive spirited person, I don’t care if you’re working on 2-on-1s or 5-on-0s, you want to put the puck through the back of the net. That just hasn’t transpired here. That’s what we’ve clearly tried to institute is that when we get on the ice, it’s an opportunity to compete and be grateful for it and go out and compete.”
Among the players, there has been some chatter on it, but not much. They understand after finishing last season strong but falling short going 37-33-11.
“I think it’s important,” Blues defenseman Philip Broberg said. “You don’t want to chase, you want to get off to a good start and everybody feeling good about their game and being confident. I think a good start is important and just keep building from that.
“I think every team talks about a good start. I think in the past we haven’t really had really good starts, so I think we want to put an emphasis on making sure we prepare for the first game.”
The players can talk about it all they want, but it’s the action that will speak louder than the words. That’s why players feel like the results will be the determining factors.
“I think it’ll take care of itself,” Blues forward Jake Neighbours said. “Obviously it’s a focus for us to get off to a good start. It’s the same with any team. We’ve been chasing the 8-Ball the last couple years and that’s something we don’t want to be in the position to be doing this year. I don’t think it needs to be said a ton by the leadership group or anyone else. It’s known. ‘Monty’ made an emphasis at the start of camp how important this camp is and how we don’t have much time and it’s going to be the regular season right away and now you’re feeling that. I like the way the group’s progressed in camp. It seems that guys are bringing the intensity and the habits that we’re going to need when the regular season starts.”
Blues defenseman Cam Fowler said, “I think there has to be (an emphasis). We saw last year what happens when you get off to a start that is not where you want to be and you just feel like you’re kind of chasing things right from the beginning. … Talking with the players and the coaches, there’s nobody that is very happy with the season that we had last year. By the looks of it, it seems like everyone had a great summer to refresh. The guys physically look really good out there.”
When the puck drops Friday, the Blues will have 11 new players on their opening night roster, the most they’ve had since 2023 (also 11). Mason McTavish, one of their top pickups on the season when they acquired the center at the 2026 NHL Draft for two 2026 first-round picks, feels the Blues can make some noise in the Western Conference.
“Oh for sure, just being on the ice with them, there's so much skill, so much speed,” McTavish said when asked if the Blues can be a playoff team. “I think guys are really hungry and we have a really competitive group, as far as I can tell. That's something that is never to be overlooked, how bad you want it and that compete level.”
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